Leslie Acton, PhD

Bella currently enjoys working as Program Manager at Southern Oregon Forest Restoration Collaborative. She coordinates with partners and community stakeholders, plans events, and helps manage SOFRC’s grants. While in Leslie’s lab Bella researched how local government agencies and faith-based organizations engage with vulnerable communities after minor tropical cyclones in Biloxi, MS. In May of 2022 Bella completed this research and her master’s degree in Environmental Policy with a specialization in Emergency Management. Bella has six years of experience in the social science field, conducting qualitative research throughout her two degrees at Davidson College and the University of Southern Mississippi. She has served on several DEIJ boards and planned many events for a wide range of functions. With her background in human geography, political ecology, and environmental justice, Bella is committed to fostering more just and effective solutions in the intersection of social, natural resource and environmental concerns. Bella enjoys meditation, songwriting, and spending time in nature. You can contact her at: bwitherspoon@sofrc.org

Emily is a PhD Student at Duke University, and was formerly in the Division of Coastal Sciences of the School of Ocean Science and Engineering and a graduate assistant in Dr. Acton’s lab. Emily’s research focuses broadly on ocean governance and human relationships with marine and coastal environments. She is interested in how global politics shape environmental decision-making across scales, particularly with respect to Small Island Developing States. Her dissertation research focuses on how emerging focus on blue economy as a strategy for post-disaster recovery and redevelopment is reproducing ocean and coastal spaces in Grand Bahama.